Sleep Troubles

Grid System

I haven't slept well for years. At first it was annoying I guess (I can't really remember when it started) but then I got kind of used to it. Now it's back to annoying. I have two major problems. First is being unable to fall asleep, second is being unable to stay asleep. Last night is a prime example of this. I went to bed at around 11:00. I fell asleep some time after 12:00. I woke up once at around 2:30, 4:30, and 6:30, at which time I was unable to get back to sleep because of the fucking birds (more on them later). In the past I've found having a small amount of alcohol before bed helps me get to sleep, but I don't want to rely on that, and it doesn't help me stay asleep either.

Here are some of the things that wake me up/keep me up:

• Light
• Loud noises (garbage trucks, motorcycles)
• High-pitched noises (fucking birds)
• Heat
• Cold
• Stuffy air

I usually get exercise twice a week (Hot Yoga and Judo once each) and I don't notice sleeping any better those nights. In fact, I had Judo last night and it was one of the worst sleeps I've had for a while - usually I'll wake up once and not again until my alarm goes off at 7:40.

Even on the nights when I get a "good" sleep, I tend to wake up not feeling rested and I spend a good part of the morning feeling out of it. I tend to perk up in the early afternoon, only to lose it again at around 3:00. As afternoon becomes evening and then night my energy picks up though.

I'm seriously considering going to a sleep therapist at this stage, but even if I initiate things quickly it'll take a while before I can get a referral and an appointment and whatever. So, in the mean time, I'll ask H/A for advice.

tl;dr - Can't sleep. What I do?

Ultarune

Do you have a history of sleep apnea in your family, are you overweight, or has a roommate/significant other ever noticed you stop breathing during the night? Sleep apnea is a fairly common source of overall feelings of tiredness. Difficulty falling asleep sounds like good ole' fashioned insomnia, but your comments about feeling more awake in the evening strikes me as possibly delayed sleep phase syndrome. I experienced similar issues in high school/college and became a sleep technician in order to accomodate my sleep schedule. The environmental factors can be solved by white noise generators/ear plugs and control of the thermostat. I would urge against using alcohol as a sleep aid habitually, but you already recognize that. I would bring it up with your doctor during your next checkup and see a sleep specialist if he recommends it.

Some links

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_apnea

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insomnia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_sleep_phase_syndrome

matt has a problem

How old is your bed? And what kind of bed do you have?

Grid System

Ultarune wrote: »

Do you have a history of sleep apnea in your family, are you overweight, or has a roommate/significant other ever noticed you stop breathing during the night?

No to all. What kind of earplugs would you suggest? Obviously comfort is important, and I'd worry about them slipping or being forced further into my ear than is safe.

matthasaproblem wrote: »

How old is your bed? And what kind of bed do you have?

There's no short answer to this. Up until about 6 months ago I slept on the same bed I had for years. I don't know what it was, but it was comfortable. I moved out in December and for a few months slept on another, similar, bed until the frame broke. Now I have a futon. The problems have persisted throughout.

histronic

Have you tried sleeping pills?

Grid System

Once. On a flight from Johannesburg to London. My dad swears by them but it didn't put me to sleep. I felt miserable and out of it the entire flight (something like 12 hours). Then I threw up.

Sakebomb

Grid System wrote: »

Once. On a flight from Johannesburg to London. My dad swears by them but it didn't put me to sleep. I felt miserable and out of it the entire flight (something like 12 hours). Then I threw up.

Do you remember what type of pills they were?
I used to have bad insomnia, after 1 month on ambien, I am a new man.

But if the pharmaceutical approach isn’t sitting well in your stomach then try reading:
Relax like a pro: 5 steps to hacking your sleep
and
Create a sleep haven

The ice bath in the first link seems a bit awkward, but it works in some strange way

Grid System

I think it was Lorazepam that I took. I think.

dkemble

Lorazepam probably isn't the best drug for your situation. It's more of an anxiolytic and it's addictive as hell. I'm not a Dr. though so I could be wrong

Have you talked with your doctor about other Rx about other sleep aids? Some may work, some may not.

I second the use of ear plugs, just try a few different ones. Most earplugs when worn correctly won't get lodged in the ear canal.

Have you considered wearing an eye cover to block out light? Again you'd have to test out a couple to find one that works for you.

An alternative (or addon) to the ear plugs is something that produces ambient noise (I use a fan). It drowns out other background noise. If your worried about being too cold just put it somewhere away from you.

Hope this helps.

Grid System

Yeah, I wouldn't try Lorazepam again. My dad is a doctor, but he does eyes so what does he know, right? :P

I would prefer non-drug solutions, if only to avoid the associated costs. I'm definitely going to try getting a mask of some kind. One other concern I have about earplugs now that I think of it is waking up. I don't want my alarm being blocked out. Maybe I'll try the ambient noise thing first. Low sounds don't seem to be as disruptive as long as they aren't really loud. And I tend to be hot more often than cold, especially now that winter is over, so maybe a fan will be good.

Thanks everyone who's made suggestions so far!

MagicPrime

Get a white noise generator or a large box fan. Turn them on, go to sleep.

The whrrrr of the fan will drown out other noise (like garbage trucks) keep you cool at night if you are hot, and if you are cold you can get another blanket. The Light can be solved with heavy lined curtians or good blinds.

Try the boxfan, any steady white noise is really soothing. I can't sleep in total silence

Edit -

I read now that other people are on the fan program too. When my wife and I were still dating and she started sleeping over she had never slept with a fan before and had real trouble sleeping all night through. Now she can't sleep without the fan on and sleeps all through the night.